Fire Piston Competition

[Tony]

Hi All, we've got a great competition for you thanks to BOD and Galemys.

For your chance to win an original South East Asian aboriginal fire piston, which you have to admit is a fantastic and unique prize.

You need to answer these 4 questions

1.Name the original tinder that is used in an original South East Asian aboriginal fire piston?
2. Which well known inventor was shown an aboriginal fire piston by his university professor?
3. Which museum curator wrote an early 20th century article on the fire piston?
4. Name one of the woods is used by the Semelai for making fire pistons?

The answers can be found with a bit of searching and reading so everyone should be in with a good chance

You can send your entries to competition@bushcraftuk.com with the subject marked as fire piston competition. Entry will be closed from the 3rd June 2009 and the winner announced soon afterwards.

Good luck to you all

[bert333]

If some replies are identical, is it a case of 'first one with answer wins?' (just sent mine in ....probably all wrong! )

[MartinK9]

Hope my answers have arrived I am pants at IT thingies

Thanks to BOD and Galemys for the opportunity to try and win one of these

[Shewie]

I confess to knowing absolutely nothing about fire pistons, but if plain old plagiarism is permitted it's got to be worth a bash

Nice one BOD and Tom

[Elines]

I think fire pistons are absolutely amzing and would love to own one and am getting the materials to make one at the moment - will definitely be entering thecompetition. Presumably there will be some kind of random draw immediately afer the closing date?

[bert333]

They are brilliant - mine has built-in gasket so no strings needed, made out of perspex- reliable/solid and waterproof.
I just use a small thin stick with cloth smeared in vaseline to clean the barrel now when it needs it.
In the unlikely event that I got the answers right - and win the piston, I'll ask Tony to put it up on auction and put the money to a charitable cause- to be chosen later.

[roibica]

I've just sent my answers

[Craft Geek]

Just sent in my answers. Thanks for the opportunity!

One question:
If the piston is made of an acrylic,
doesn't it deform or melt after a few uses?

[Asa Samuel]

Just sent my answers in!

I Think I've gotten them all right, it took a lot of searching though!

Thanks a lot!
Asa.

[Taffy63]

Just entered too, fascinating research I now fancy having a go at making one myself!

[Andyre]

Just sent in my answers so ...

Thanks to all involved in this

[Tony]

This competition is now closed, the winner will be announced soon, good luck to all that entered

[Tony]

Congratulations to MartinK9, the fire piston is yours I've dropped you an email and we'll soon have this off to you so you can make fire to your hearts content

The answers we were looking for are here below the questions

1.Name the original tinder that is used in an original South East Asian aboriginal fire piston?
2. Which well known inventor was shown an aboriginal fire piston by his university professor?
3. Which museum curator wrote an early 20th century article on the fire piston?
4. Name one of the woods is used by the Semelai for making fire pistons?


1. Caryota Mitis (Burmese Fish tailed palm) or aping palm
2. Rudolf Diesel
3. Henry Balfour
4. Berberas, Penaga (Ceylon Ironwood)

Thanks to all that entered, we'll have another one up soon